Das Sudburgenland (South Burgenland) Day 1

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This entry is marked as Hungary - since there is no entry on travelblog.org for´Das Burgenland', the current easternmost province of Austria - which stayed with Hungary after the countries split at the end of WW1 until the province, formerly Western Hungary, was joined to the new Austrian republic. That is all of the province except for its capital, Sopron (Odensburg in German), which voted to stay in Hungary.

Thus the province was without a capital city. The second largest town, changed its name at the time from Mattersdorf or Mattersvillage to Mattersburg or Matterscastle, in order to give it more cachet as a possible capital city but the title went to the contender Eisenstadt which already was called Stadt or City. Both of the towns are still quite small.

The province was quite poor until the end of the iron curtain when its borders with Slovenia and Hungary opened up. One sees quite a few new homes everywhere particularly in the Southern part of the province. The people were generally the most friendly and talkative of any area that we have as yet visited, often coming up to us on their own initiative for a chat. The first two local cyclists that we talked to said the hills were not as horrible as we had been led to believe by others in Styria who had balked at our plans to cycle Burgenland from south to north.

Cycling in South Burgenland - the region is quite hilly and sunny - a wine cultivation area.

Our first night we stop cycling about 5 p.m. for a pending thunder storm (which then does not arrive at all) and stay at a gastfhof (family run hotel-restaurant) in a very small town, Kleinmuerbish. The cast is oddly similar at most of the family run gasthaus/gasthof where we eat or overnight (usually to avoid a thunderstorm). The wirt (male) and wirtin (female) owners share most of the duties although the wirtin appears to focus more on the variety of tasks needed to operate the gasthaus such as dealing with client details, cleaning, handing out promo material while the wirt is somewhat of a social host for the locals, largely men, who gather regularly to drink at the gasthaus bar. The wirt will deal with us for a lengthy conversation about our trip or the economy, interesting points of the local scene. There is also a grandmother (oma) in the picture, who chats quite a bit with anyone in particular and a young boy, who appears somewhat indulged by the rest of the family. The oma and boy make perpetual concentric circles around the restaurant, bar, parking lot, outdoor terrace, with the help of their cane or bicycle, while the sandwich generation deal with the needs of the varied guests.

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Photos

Diepersdorf
We leave the Mur valley here to take a short cut across to Burgenland. We are leaving the river valley for the hills!

No Map
We had no map for the border area of Styria and Burgenland so this climb was a surprise.

First sign of Vienna (Wien)
At top of 10% hill but still more hills to climb to St. Anna am Aigen. St. Anna is a very lovely wine town.

Burgenland Border (Kalch)
The boy going home for lunch we had asked to take our picture (which did not turn out) at the Burgenland border.

Picnic table
There is a table between the two trees. (not a mid afternoon mirage)

Hungarian Border
A dark forest awaits us along the Hungarian Border near Mogersdorf.

View from our room
We hear thunder at around 5 p.m. so stop in a very small town called "Kleinmuerbish", which actually means "Small Muerbish". We go for a walk around town after dinner and end up quickly in an orchard.
We are the only guests. There is an identical room to ours next door with the exception that it contains a large crucifix.